Weather History - November 1st

Local and Regional Events:

November 1st, 1999:

High winds of 30 to 50 mph with gusts to around 55 mph caused some tree and building damage throughout Big Stone and Traverse counties. On Highway 10 west of Browns Valley, the high winds blew a semi-tractor trailer full of 12,000 pounds of meat off the road and into a ditch. High winds from 30 to 50 mph, gusting to near 65 mph, also caused building and tree damage throughout central, north-central, and northeast South Dakota. In Eureka, the high winds blew down a large part of the ballpark fence. In Mellette, a 250-foot diameter grain bin under construction also received some damage from the winds.

November 1st, 2000:

A rare and unusual tornado event occurred as five tornadoes hit south-central North Dakota, causing property damage and injuries. The majority of the damage and injuries occurred in the Bismarck area. Forty-two homes suffered minor to moderate damage. The tornadoes were rated F0 and F1, packing winds up to 90 mph. Another unusual phenomenon, these tornadoes traveled from east to west due to close proximity to a low-pressure system. Simultaneously, as these tornadoes were occurring, snow began to fall in the far western area of North Dakota. As a result, winter storm watches and warnings were posted across northwest and central North Dakota that afternoon. Before this, the last recorded tornado in the state was October 11th, 1979, in Sargent County in southeast North Dakota. Click HERE for more information from the NWS Office in Bismarck, North Dakota. 

U.S.A and Global Events for November 1st:

1755: A magnitude 8.7 earthquake devastated Lisbon, Portugal, on this day, killing as many as 50,000 people. The epicenter was located 120 miles west-southwest of Cape St. Vincent. In addition, many individuals who sought safety on the Tagus River were killed by an estimated 20-foot tall tsunami that struck 40 minutes after the earthquake. Click HERE for more information from the History Channel. Click HERE for more information from the USGS.

1848: When Joseph Henry came to the Smithsonian, one of his priorities was to set up a meteorological program. In 1847, while outlining his plan for the new institution, Henry called for "a system of extended meteorological observations for solving American storms." On November 1st, 1848, Joseph Henry and Navy meteorologist James Espy wrote a letter urging anyone interested in becoming a weather observer to signify their willingness to do so. By 1849, he had budgeted $1,000 for the Smithsonian meteorological project and established a network of some 150 volunteer weather observers. A decade later, the project had more than 600 volunteer observers, including people in Canada, Mexico, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Its cost in 1860 was $4,400, or thirty percent of the Smithsonian's research and publication budget. Click HERE for more information from the Smithsonian Institution Archives.

Above is a photograph of a portrait of Joseph Henry (1797-1878), physicist and first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution (1846-1878). Portrait painter Henry Ulke first painted Henry in 1875 for display at the Philadelphia Centennial in 1876. The portrait was transferred to the Smithsonian in 1917 and hung for many years in the Secretary's Parlor in the Smithsonian Institution Building or "Castle."

Click HERE for more This Day in Weather History from the Southeast Regional Climate Center.